Galina Vasilita: How AI Is Transforming Customer Support at maib

Interview with Galina Vasilita, Product Owner, Business Development Team, Business Banking Department, maib

Galina, good afternoon. In our previous interviews, we introduced maib’s virtual assistant, ami. Today, we take a closer look at how it is transforming support for legal entities.

Have you personally tried interacting with ami? Could you share your impressions?

I tested it while preparing an interview about mortgage loans. I accessed it out of curiosity, started asking questions, and received very well-structured answers. As an individual client, I was very satisfied. I haven’t yet tested it as a legal entity, but after our discussion, I certainly will.

I encourage you to initiate a conversation with ami as a business client and share your feedback with us. Your opinion is highly valuable, especially as an advanced AI user.

As a Product Owner, I closely monitor both quantitative and qualitative indicators, the bot’s responses, and emerging trends. Personally, I don’t ask it questions very often. However, just last week, close acquaintances asked me about business vehicle loans. They operate in transportation and want to renew their fleet.

Although I stepped away from lending some time ago, we decided to ask all their questions in the chat exactly as they formulated them—from the perspective of a business entity. The responses were highly precise and, as you can imagine, I later verified their accuracy. Five questions — five answers. No repetitions, and clear guidance on what the bank offers for that specific company, presented in accessible language.

I sincerely recommend that entrepreneurs and managers address any business-related questions to our chatbot ami, available 24/7.

When was the chatbot launched for legal entities?

We launched the chat format in May 2024, although at that time it was not yet AI-powered.

In autumn 2025, we introduced the AI-based virtual assistant, ami. By then, we had already built a solid knowledge base derived from customer inquiries.

Previously, only operators responded in chat. Today, we have strong performance indicators: ami handles nearly 75% of requests.

The maib virtual assistant responds quickly, professionally, and accurately, based on verified information.

What was more challenging: building the knowledge base or training it to stay within its limits?

From the very beginning, we decided that the chatbot would not access information outside maib’s internal knowledge base. It was not launched into an open environment—it operates within a controlled informational framework.

Therefore, our main focus today is maintaining and continuously updating the knowledge base, with updates made daily.

We also aim to provide information beyond internal banking procedures. For example, we have integrated maib’s freelancer offering, as well as legislative data, definitions, and types of business activities.

Our goal is for every client to find answers about maib’s services and products directly in the chat, without needing external sources. If a more personalized response is required, an operator is always available.

What about calculations? For example, if I request a loan repayment calculation?

If you enter specific data, the assistant will perform the calculation.

Does ami provide advice—for example, whether someone should take a particular loan?

Ami does not provide direct recommendations such as “take this loan.” However, it presents a complete overview: comparing current bank offers, interest rates, calculating interest, estimating monthly payments, and listing required documents.

Moreover, it provides a direct link to submit a loan application. Our colleagues review applications promptly and issue approvals, including online loans.

This opens new opportunities: instant access to calculations 24/7, moving from information to action in one click, saving time, and accelerating business processes without unnecessary calls or branch visits.

The biggest challenge remains maintaining an up-to-date knowledge base. We treat this with utmost seriousness and promptly upload all updates. It is important for clients to know that they will receive accurate and up-to-date information in our chat.

If you were to present the chatbot to my readers, what three key points would you highlight?

First — it is important for clients to start trusting artificial intelligence. In our chat, answer accuracy ranges between 95–98%.

Second — security. Information within the chat is protected. Personal data is only processed when transferring the request to an operator for resolution.

Third — we will continue developing this communication and support tool and integrate it into the maib business application for legal entities.

So it is not yet available in maib business?

Not yet, but integration into the maib business app is our current priority. The advantage of accessing the assistant directly within maib business is that it will know exactly who it is communicating with and which company is involved, enabling personalized responses about payments, cards, credit limits, and more.

In the first phase, we will test scenarios based on the most frequent client inquiries, followed by access to more complex data. This will help clients accelerate business decision-making.

That is a significant volume of data…

Yes, but it is inevitable, as the number of active legal entity clients conducting transactions at maib increases every year. Technically, managing this data is feasible — the focus is on processing capacity and speed.

I am very optimistic. People adapt to such tools and eventually do not want to return to previous methods.

I personally no longer call the call center after interacting with ami.

We see that many questions no longer reach operators. The bot responds so effectively that clients sometimes do not even realize they are interacting with an automated system.

Through which channels is the chat currently available?

On the bank’s website maib.md, Telegram, Viber, and Facebook Messenger. Next — as mentioned — is integration into the maib business app for legal entities.

Are you satisfied with the results so far?

Yes, ami already handles the majority of inquiries, responding quickly and efficiently. In terms of customer satisfaction and First Call Resolution metrics, its performance is comparable to operators — and sometimes even exceeds it.

Operators now focus on more technical and personalized cases, while for theoretical questions, the virtual assistant is more efficient.

We want our clients to stay close to emerging technologies. This is the future — and without technology, the future will not look the way we envision it.

Those who adopt innovation first are the ones who win. Especially in the corporate segment.